Wednesday, January 13, 2016

The Downtown Partnership is looking for a chair or co-chairs for Bring a Broom Saturday. As a co-chair for Bring a Broom Saturday, you
will work with Caitlin McIntire of the Partnership on planning event logistics.
The primary responsibility of the co-chair position is volunteer and block
captain recruitment. There is also
minimal logistical coordination with The City of Frederick. The time commitment is likely less than 10
hours between January and April and the meeting time is flexible based upon the
chairperson's schedule. Ideally, the
co-chair people would be present for the actual event on April 30, although
that is not necessary. To volunteer or
suggest someone, contact Caitlin
McIntire at caitlin@downtownfrederick.org
or call the Partnership office at 301-698-8118. Bring a Broom Saturday has it's own Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/BringABroom/?fref=ts

Monday, January 11, 2016

We have an idea of what is important in keeping our credit score at a healthy high but having just a little more knowledge can save you from having your score drop unnecessarily. Louise Johnson of Prime Lending submitted the following helpful explanation of the factors that effect your credit score. This information was provided in part by
Credit Law Solutions, and I think it may help clarify a lot of the myths
about credit scores.

Louise: There is a lot of misunderstanding &
misinformation in regards
to how different types of credit impact a
consumer’s credit score. Many borrowers are under the impression that a
car loan, mortgage, or other type of installment loan will
raise their score immediately, as would revolving debt.

Installment Debt vs. Revolving Debt
Installment credit comes in the form of a loan that
you pay back in level payments every month. The amount of the loan is
determined at the time of approval, and the sum you've borrowed doesn't
change over time. Examples of installment
credit include mortgages and car loans.

.

Revolving credit is not issued in a predetermined
amount. You'll have a limit to how much you're able to borrow, but the
amount you utilize within that limit is up to you. Most revolving loans
are issued as lines of credit, where the borrower
makes charges, pays them off, then continues to make charges. Examples
of revolving credit include credit cards and home equity lines of credit
(HELOCs).

Revolving accounts are the key to a healthy FICO score

You probably know that a healthy credit report
contains a varied mix of credit types; in all likelihood, you have both
revolving and installment accounts open right now. This means it's
important to know that revolving credit is a powerful
force in determining your credit score. In fact, it has the potential
to do big damage if you're not careful. It can also be used to spike a
credit score upward.

First and foremost, any account you don't pay on
time will hurt your credit. Thirty-five percent of your score comes from
your history with paying your bills by their due dates. Consequently,
it should be a priority to make all your credit
payments - revolving and installment - on time.

Credit scores consider how much you charge on your
credit cards versus how much credit is available to you. That's called
your utilization rate. The key is to keep your utilization rate below 20
percent for each credit card account and
for all accounts in total.

Here is a little known fact: Mortgage payments
& car loans absolutely hold a lesser weight on your client scoring
model. The balances are basically irrelevant & have zero impact on
the FICO score. It makes no difference if it is at 90%
or 30% or 10%. There is no way to "pay it down" to increase a FICO
score.

A credit card carries more weight than a mortgage and car loan and can cripple a credit score without ever being late.
The reason is because credit card debts tend to move higher over time,
which weakens overall credit position.

Mortgage debt, by contrast, eventually pays down to $0.

Remember, each revolving credit trade line affects
the credit to debt ratio AND the overall summary of credit to debt
ratio. This directly translates to the FICO score. A double dip that
Installment credit does not utilize.

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Happy New Year! Here is the January 2016 eNews from the City of Frederick.
This newsletter is packed full of useful information! It is re-posted
here by permission. If you have any questions or suggestions, direct
them to Susan Harding, the city's Public Information Coordinator, and
author of the newsletter: susan@cityoffrederick.com. The topics for this month's newsletter are shown below and the articles follow. See the e-Newsletter archives for other issues. ~ Darcy Richards Contents:

Mayor McClement sets aside time each month to meet informally with citizens to discuss topics or issues of their choice.The January Talk to the Mayor will be held on the 4th Tuesday, January 26th from 2-6 PM.

The
Mayor's office is located in City Hall at 101 North Court St. No
appointment is necessary and citizens meet with the Mayor on a first
come, first serve basis. For details, contact Nikki Bamonti: 301-600-3835 or nbamonti@cityoffrederick.com

Yard Waste/ Stormwater UpdateEffective January 4th

In an effort to adhere to Federal, State and County imposed guidelines
and meet the requirements of our National Pollutant Discharge
Elimination System permit, The City of Frederick is requiring all yard
waste, including leaves and grass, be placed in acceptable recyclable
bags or appropriate containers beginning January 4th. For more
information, click here.

Productions by The City of Frederick Audio Visual Department

The following videos, produced by The City of Frederick's Audio Visual Department, are for your viewing pleasure.

FCAA Office of Home Energy Programs Still Accepting Applications for Energy Assistance If you or someone you know needs help paying heating and electric bills, please contact the Office of Home Energy Programs at 301-600-2410 as soon as possible to find out if you are eligible for financial assistance. For more information go to Energy Assistance.

Christmas Tree Recycling Sites

The
City of Frederick Christmas Tree Drop Off and Recycling Program began
on December 26, 2015 and will continue through January 31, 2016. The
drop off points are:

The
NAC is a forum for residents to become involved in identifying and
recommending changes to improve your neighborhood. Each NAC meets to
discuss issues, concerns, and neighborhood projects. To find out which
NAC you belong to visit Find Your NAC.

For more information, call Frederick County Solid Waste Management Department at 301-600-2960.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle T-Shirt ..... Design ContestA
picture is worth a thousand words and now it could be worth a prize
too! Frederick County Department of Solid Waste Management is sponsoring
a T-shirt contest. For more information and contest entry form, go to
www.frederickcountymd.gov/T-ShirtDesign.

Alert Frederick County

Emergency Notification System

Sign up for weather, traffic, and other important notices and updates at

The City of Frederick values diversity in its workforce and is an equal opportunity employer. For information on employment with The City, visit Job Opportunities & How to Apply. Applications and current job descriptions are also available inside City Hall by the security desk on the first floor.